Cool
by psychegloom
Summary: SlightlyBased on "Cool" by GwenStefani. 12yrs after their depart, Ichigo and Rukia meet again as their children and fate bring them back together. Is there still hope for their love? Or have they finally moved on? OneShot


A/N: Well, I was feeling a little nostalgic while I wrote this, I got the idea because I ran into my High School sweetheart at the store today, and found out he's engaged. I'm happy for him, I really am, but I couldnt help but feel a little sad you know, he was a big part of my life, my first BF and what not, dated for four years. I'm happily in a relationship now, but you never really forget that first love. So this goes to all the loves that were super special but just weren't meant to be.

Slightly based on "Cool" by Gwen Stefani. Oh and this is a crossover, for all those that have seen 5 Centimeters per second, Ichigo married the main girl from that movie. Akari, and Rukia the main guy from that movie, Takaki. The irony? **Akari** and **Takaki** never really got over each other either.

* * *

The leaves were falling, a cascade of yellows and oranges, the wind was cold, the pond decorated in gold; Ichigo Kurosaki ran, his lungs being filled with the morning's sharp chilly air. Sunday morning at central park, nothing to do, nothing to see, Saturday was gone…soon it'd be the start of the week. Another week gone by, another month, soon another year…

"Ayumi wait!" He panted as he came to a stop, resting his hands on his knees. He was thin, but out of shape, it seemed like years since he had a real workout, ever since his teen years…all those years ago, now he was thirty-three.

"Come on daddy!" Screamed Ayumi whining, little Ayumi was five years old, she had Ichigo's loud orange hair, and warm brown eyes; the texture of her hair was long and smooth, like her mother's.

"What's the rush kid? It's pretty early you know."

"I told you daddy, I'm supposed to be meeting my friend Takaki."

"Aren't you a little young to be dating."

"It's not like that you pervert!" She said punching him in the stomach.

"Agh! Okay," said Ichigo clutching his stomach painfully, "who is this Takaki anyway?" He asked.

"Takaki Tono, he's my acting partner."

"Acting partner?"

"Yes, for the little Thespian league in my elementary school, you really don't pay any attention to what I do, do you? You know statistics show that children that are neglected by their parents when they're little have a more difficult time maintaining relationships when they grow up. You want that for me? Do you?"

"Where do you get this stuff? I need to get you away from your aunt Karin," sighed Ichigo.

"You're just a an irresponsible adult without any sense of priority."

"Apparently I need to get you away from your mother too."

"Honestly Ichigo Kurosaki, you're hopeless," said Ayumi shaking her head in disapproval, but then she spotted a little boy and ran over to him.

"Takaki!"

"Ayumi, wait!" Yelled Ichigo running towards her, but then came to an abrupt halt when he laid eyes on the woman shaking Ayumi's hand. Raven hair. Violet eyes. Pale porcelain skin. Soft puffy pink lips. So many sleepless nights, so many smiles, so many tears…all of these memories coming to him in a whirlwind.

"Mrs. Tono, I want you to meet my dad. Hey Ichigo!" Yelled Ayumi waving her hands at Ichigo. Rukia's eyes widened, and she turned to look at him fearfully; when her eyes landed at him, she gasped, trying her best to feign indifference in front of the children. Ichigo slowly walked towards them, not sure about what he would say, walking slowly enough to give her the opportunity to run away…

But she didn't.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Kurosaki," said Rukia reluctantly shaking his hand, their skins touched.

A kiss.

A gasp.

A touch.

A moan.

A thrust.

A scream.

Sweat covered bodies sliding against one another, the cold winter nonexistent…

"How did you know that was their last name mom, I don't think I mentioned it to you," said Takaki; Rukia grew instantly nervously.

"Well, Mr. Kurosaki and I went to High School together," she said smiling at them.

"Were you friends?" Asked Ayumi enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," said Ichigo scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"Okay, well enough chit chat, Ayumi and I need to rehearse, we'll go practice by the pond, then we'll come and show you," said Takaki; then he and Ayumi left, leaving Rukia and Ichigo sitting on a bench.

"So, it's Mrs. Tono now is it?"

"Yes, so who's the lucky lady?"

"Her name's Akari, I met her in Tokyo about seven and a half years ago. Who's the lucky guy?"

"His name's Takaki Tono, I saved him from a train six years ago while I was in Tokyo investigating strange Hollow activity."

"But, aren't you forbidden to save people when their time comes?"

"I know; that's why I was expelled from soul society, I had nowhere to go, and he took me in to thank me."

"He could see spirits too? How were you able to live with him as a spirit?"

"Yes, he could; I already had a gigai with me, so the moving in thing wasn't a problem."

"Oh," they stood silent for a moment.

"If you were no longer a part of soul society why didn't you-"

"Look for you? I did, and I-"

"Found me with her," he said finishing her sentence; she nodded.

"You were already married to her."

"How did you know?"

"I did some investigating."

"So you stalked me?" Smirked Ichigo; she punched him in the arm playfully.

"You wish."

"And you stayed with Takaki…"

"Yes, he's a good man, and Akari?"

"She's a great woman, a wonderful mother, and she doesn't kick me in the shins," he said joking around, earning himself a kick in the shins; he winced but didn't voice his complaints.

"So," she said crossing her arms, "Takaki is a great father, and one heck of a lover."

"Not better than me," said Ichigo with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"You we were a lousy lover."

"That's no way to talk about the man that took your virginity."

"It was your idea, you seduced me into bed, remember?"

"Peh, you wish, you were the one wearing the slutty dress."

"Ichigo it was prom."

"So, it wasn't a requirement to dress slutty was it?"

"See this is exactly why we broke up."

"We didn't break up, you were the one that left," he said in a low, serious voice, a hint of sadness in his tone.

"I had to leave, you knew I eventually would, we were from different worlds, even if I never left, you would get old eventually, and I would have to watch you die."

"So, there's nothing wrong with that."

"Nothing wrong with that?! You wouldn't know what it's like would you? To have to wait for the inevitable!" She said clutching the hem of her shirt tightly, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Of course I know, I waited for you Rukia, you and Akari have been the only women in my life." _I never stopped waiting for you, a fact you'll never know_.

"I didn't want you to wait! I wanted you to live your life, move on!"

"Seems like I did what you wanted me to, are you happy that I did?" He asked without looking at her.

"Of course, I'm very happy for you," she said smiling sadly at him. _I love you_.

"I'm glad in the end we both moved on, and that we're both happy," said Ichigo returning her smile. _I never stopped loving you_.

He reached out and held her hand; she looked at him surprised. It had been so many years…so many years since she'd last seen him, and that fire…that fire burning in his eyes, it wasn't gone yet it was still there. After looking into his amber orbs for a while, she felt like they were still the same, still young, still in love. Like nothing had changed

"Mom, you wanna see?" Yelled Takaki as he and Ayumi walked towards them; they both snapped out of their trance and pulled away from each other.

"Sure!" Said Rukia.

"Wait…what time is it?" Asked Takaki stopping a good distance from them, suddenly remembering something.

"Quarter past eleven, why?" Asked Rukia confused.

"Honestly mom, how could you forget, we're supposed to pick up Saya from my aunt's house, she can't baby-sit past twelve, remember?" Sighed Takaki.

"Saya?" Asked Ichigo curiously.

"Oh, my daughter, she's turning one in a week," said Rukia.

"Oh," he said a little taken aback. _I never had a second child with Akari_…

"Well, I'll see you around?"

"Definitely," said Ichigo; then Rukia turned to walk away, but Ichigo stopped her by holding her hand.

"Rukia, wait."

"What is it Ichigo?" _I never stopped loving you? What about you?_

"You really do love him, don't you?" Rukia looked thoughtful for a moment, then she turned to look at Ichigo with a sincere smile on her face.

"Yes, I do, I really do love him," she answered honestly.

"Well, I'm glad," he said, his smile bittersweet.

"Well, I have to go, bye," with that said, she walked towards her son, leaving Ichigo to think.

"Ichigo, can we go now?" Asked Ayumi pulling at Ichigo's sleeve; Ichigo groaned.

"How many times must I ask you to call me dad?" He said as they walked the opposite way of Rukia and Takaki.

"Fine, dad, Takaki's mom seems…nice, don't you think? I just met her, but I feel like we've know each other for a very long time," said Ayumi thoughtfully, "was she nice when you knew her?"

"Yeah, she was very nice," said Ichigo. _If only you knew, she's the reason I could never really fall in love with your mom_.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"It's not fair that Takaki has a little sister and I don't, I want one too. Could you and mom get me one?" Ichigo thought about it for a moment, then he smiled.

"What the heck, I don't see why not, I'll talk to your mom about it."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

…

"Mom, how long did you know Ayumi's dad?"

"Well I met him when he was fifteen, and I last saw him when he was twenty-one, so six years."

"You cared about him a lot didn't you?"

"Yeah, I guess I did."

"Was he a good friend?"

"Yeah he was a good friend…" _And the reason I could never really fall in love with your dad_.


End file.
